Railroad-crossing.



C. P. KELLY.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 17, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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O. F. KELLY.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED J NE 17, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 19%

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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- I ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES F. KELLY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

- RAILROAD-CROSSING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. KELLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad crossings, the objectof the invention being to provide a crossing with improved pivotedblocks which are adapted to be swung in either direction to bridge thegap between the tread portions of the rails where the rails cross, sothat there Will be no jar or olt when the wheels ride over the crossing.

A further object is to provide improve ments of this character which areoperated automatically by the car as it approaches the crossing, andwhich compels the simul taneous operation of four of such blocks tobridge the four gaps at the angles of the crossing.

A further object is to improve upon the construction disclosed in myformer application filed December 1 1, 1912, and given Serial No.736,693.

\Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating myimprovements in full lines and showing the rails of the crossing indotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1showing the rails in full lines as well as the attachment. Fig. 8 is afragmentary view in section on an enlarged scale through one of thecorners of the crossing. Fig. 41 is. a fragmentary plan view of theconstruction shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in section onthe line 5--5 of Fig. 4;, and Figs. 6 7, 8, and 9 are views illustratingvarious details of construction.

1, 1 represent the rails of a track which cross the rails 2, 2 of atrack at right angles. The rails l and 2 are illustrated as of theordinary grooved type, and the tread portions of these rails are spacedapart at the angles of the crossing and have their adjacent ends curvedor rounded as shown at 3 to receive the rounded ends of my improvedSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 17, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 191&.

Serial No. 774,114.

blocks 1 to bridge the gap between the tread portions of the rails.

The blocks 1- have angular openings 5 therein to receive the angularupper ends 6 of relatively short vertical shafts 7, the lower ends ofsaid shafts being mounted in stuffing boxes 8 to prevent the passage ofwater into the base of the crossing.

Each shaft 7 is provided with a crank arm 9, and each crank arm has twoupwardly projecting pins 10 thereon which are connected by curved links'11 with crank arms 12 on shafts 13. The shafts 13 are horizontallydisposed and supported in bearings 14 secured to the base flanges 15 ofthe rails. These shafts will be at different elevations, so that theymay cross each other at the angles of the crossing.

The crank arms 12 have horizontally positioned bifurcated lugs 16 attheir free ends to receive the curved links 11 and there is sufficientlooseness of connection between the parts to permit of the varying arcsthrough which they move. It is to be understood that there are four ofthese shafts 13 positioned longitudinally of the four rails of thecrossing and said shafts connected by the links 11 with the severalshort shafts 7 so that all of the blocks t are compelled to turn inunison from one position to the other.

To automatically turn the blocks when a car approaches the crossing, Iprovide pins 17 which at their lower ends are pivot-ally connectedbetween parallel crank arms 18 on shafts 13, and at their upper endsproject through openings 19 in the tread portion of the rails.

It will be noted particularly by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, that therails have enlargements 20 where openings 19 are provided, and thatenlarged heads 21 are provided on the pins 19 which move in recesses 22in the rails, so that when the pins are pressed downwardly, by thepassage of wheels over them, the heads 21 engage shoulders 23 in thelower ends of the recesses 22 to sustain the pressure or weight of thecar and prevent the pins being moved downwardly beyond a predeterminedpoint. As illustrated, I provide one of these pins in each rail adjacentthe crossing, so that the movement of cars in either direction willcompel the blocks 4 to swing and bridge the gaps at the crossings.

In Figs. 8, and 9, I illustrate the manner of pivotal connection betweenthe several parts in which I interpose hard metal bearing sleeves 24around the pivot bolts to reduce friction to a minimum and take up wear,and I would have it understood that I may utilize this construction ofbearing throughout all pivotal points of the crossing.

It will be noted that the blocks i are removably connected to the shaft7 and are supported directly upon the rails. In other words, the railsare cut out or recessed as shown at 25 and are of a thickness equal tothe depth of the recess, so that they form a smooth continuation of thetread of the rail. If a block is broken or damaged, it may be removed orreplaced by another without disturbing the rest of the mechanism.

When the pins 17 are depressed, they cause all of the shafts 13 to turnand the arms 12 through the medium of links 11 compel all of the shafts7-to turn and swing the blocks 4 through an arc of ninety degrees (90).The operation is therefore entirely automatic and an approaching carcompels the blocks to pivot so as to allow the car a smooth passage overthe crossing.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I donot limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myselfat liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a railroad crossing having recesses at thejuncture of the crossing rails, of vertical shafts supported in therails, blocks secured to turn with said shafts and adapted to be movedin the re cesses to position said blocks so as to bridge the gaps in therails, horizontal shafts supported by the rails and crossing each otherat the juncture of the rails, crank arms on said horizontal shafts, acrank arm on each vertical shaft, links connecting the crank arm on eachvertical shaft with the crank arms of both horizontal shafts crossingeach other adjacent said vertical shaft, and means operated by the carfor turning said horizontal shafts, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a railroad crossing having recesses at thejuncture of the rails, of short vertical shafts supported in saidrecesses, blocks secured to the shafts and adapted to bridge the gapsbetween the tread portions of the rails, longitudinal shafts supportedby the rails, crank arms on said shafts, crank arms on the verticalshafts, links connecting the crank arms of the vertical shafts with thecrank arms of the horizontal shafts, whereby all of said shafts arecompelled to turn in unison, and means for turning said horizontalshafts, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a railroad crossing having recesses at thejuncture of the rails, of short vertical shafts supported in saidrecesses, blocks secured to the shafts and adapted to bridge the gapsbetween the tread portions of the rails, longitudinal shafts supportedby the rails, crank arms on said shafts, crank arms on the verticalshafts, links connecting the crank arms of the vertical shafts with thecrank arms of the horizontal shafts, whereby all of said shafts arecompelled to turn in unison, crank arms on said horizontal shafts, andpins projecting above the tread portions of the rails and operativelyconnected to said last-mentioned crankarms, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a railroad crossing having recesses at thejuncture of the rails, of short vertical shafts supported in saidrecesses, blocks secured to the shafts and adapted to bridge the gapsbetween the tread portions of the rails, longitudinal shafts supportedby the rails, crank arms on said shafts, crank arms 011 the verticalshafts, links connecting the crank arms of the vertical shafts with thecrank arms of the horizontal shafts, whereby all of said shafts arecompelled to turn in unison, crank arms on said horizontal shafts, pinsprojecting above the tread portions of the rails and operativelyconnected to said last-mentioned crank arms, said rails having recessesin their tread portions, and heads on said pins movable in said recessesand adapted when depressed to bear against the inner or base portions ofthe recesses, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a crossing having recesses at the juncture ofthe rails, ver tical shafts located in said recesses, blocks removablysecured upon the upper ends of said shafts and adapted to bridge thegaps between the rails, crank arms on said vertical shafts, two lugs onsaid crank arms, horizontal shafts supported by the rails and crossingeach other, crank arms on said horizontal shafts, curved linksconnecting the last-mentioned crank arms with said lugs, and meansoperated by a car for compelling all of said shafts to turn and move theblocks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. KELLY.

Witnesses:

M. E. DITTUS, CHAS. E. Po'r'rs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

